The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-22
ENDED HIS LIFE WITH POISON
Austin w. Morris Found Dead in Bed
at the Laclede Hotel in st. Louis.
He Is Not Discovered, However. Until Nearly
Two Days After His Death-Financial
Troubles Cause His Suicide.
Special to the Indianapolis Journaz.

Special to the Indianapolis Journaz
ST.. Louis. No., Aug. 21-Roorn PIP, at the
Laclede Hotel, furnishes CHASTITY sensation to-
day. In the latter part of July well-dressed
man. about forty years of age. arrived at the
hotel and registered IA. W. Morris, Cincinnati
He in good spirits. ana told the hotel people
that he had come to town to assume the manage
ment of the Cycloroma and Battle of Chatta-
nooga, on Washington avenue. This Was fact,
Mr. Morris having been engaged at salary of
1925 month. James Hannerty, who was Mr..
Morriss predecessor, had conference with him
on the first of August about the cyclorama
business. At that time Hannerty noticed that
Mr.. Morris did not seem to take much interest
in the matter. He talked freely with his theat-
rical friends, but formed no acquaintances at
the hotel He paid his first weeks bill prompt
ly, and at this juncture the cyclorama business
had dwindled to such proportions that the propri-
etors were forced to dismiss their manager Two
weeks passed and the hotel bill remained
paid. Morris told his friends that he was hard
up, but hoped TO pull through all right in short
time He met Mr.. Hannerty at the Southern
Hotel. on Thursday, and told him that
he had met a friend who would settle his &C
counts and he would leave for Kansas City in
few days, where he intended to accept position
in his uncle's tea and coffee store He was in
good spirits, and the dependency which was
noClceQ IN MS appearance the week before q au
entirely disappeared. He loitered around the
hotel most of Friday, and in the evening chatted
pleasantly with night clerk Farrell He retired
late. and when the cham BERNARD made her
rounds the next morning she found the
door of 212 locked. After dinner she tried
it again, and it was still locked She summoned
a bell-boy who took look the transom
and reported the sleeping. On Saturday
night she again tried the door, with no better
success This morning the apartment was still
barricaded. She summoned Mr.. Austin, the
clerk. and he at decided to force the door.
This took only few minutes, and when the
door few back horrible stencil came out of the
his back. He had been dead nearly
two days. and surrounding his head the linen
stained with bloody froth hurried
animation of his undershirt showed blood stains.
and this led to the superstition that he had
stabbed himself in the heart Decomposition
had made rapid progress and by order of the
coroner the body was transferred to the morgue.
A note found addressed to clerk Austin,
requesting him to telegraph Morris M. Ross, of
the Indianapolis News, and Horace Mckay. An
examination as the morgue showed that no knife
had been used. There were no external wounds.
Morrs's baggage was then searched,s and in a
small satchel was found, bottle of poison, sup
posed to be prussie acid. The blood on the bed
and garments had oozed from the mouth. De-
spondency oyer his financial trouble is supposed
to be the cause of the suicide. An inquest will
be held to- morrow.
Indianapolis is the home of Mr.. Morris. and
he IS well known here. lie Is nephew OF Gen.
Thomas A. Morris and about forty
years old. He was left a fortune of nearly
800, 900 by his father, but through unfortunate
investments and business failures he lost the
whole amount. For a time he engaged in
the wholesale business South Meridian
street. but was unsuccessful, chiefly for the
reason that he had financial ability. He had
large investments in real estate when the panic
came on in 1873. ami this swept away all that he
possessed. During tho last five years he has
been connected with a number of show and
theatrical companies advance agent He
was q very affabe gentleman and socially
quite popular among his acquaintances
lie leaves brother, Maj. Lew Morris, WHO is
in the regular army, and sister. Josephine
who is the wife of George B. Green. a New
York capitalist His wife Kate Tousey
Morris, the actress, but they have not lived to-
gether for three or four years.